


A Special Gift

by tinacita



Category: James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 16:54:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12586420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinacita/pseuds/tinacita
Summary: Bucky and his girlfriend spend a special weekend at a lakeside cabin





	A Special Gift

**Author's Note:**

> my entry for promarvelfangirl's fic challenge! my prompt was "blankets."
> 
> i originally thought of this as a sequel to "so you think i'm snuggly?" but it can be read as a stand alone.

I was happy, happier than I’d been in a long time. I loved working with Dr. Banner. For as smart as he was, he was also really sweet.

And I was becoming really good friends with Steve, Sam, and Wanda. Natasha still scared me, and honestly, Mr. Stark was so egotistical it made me want to slap him all the time.

Truly though, it was Bucky who was responsible for my contentedness. Ever since our pseudo admission of liking each other, we had been spending more time together, and getting to know each other better.

I saw how intelligent he really was, and he continued to be the amazingly tender guy that I suspected that he was.

A few months after our initial “confessions,” he asked me out on a sort of double date. He was so nervous about the whole idea that he asked Steve to join us. Steve decided that would be awkward, so he invited Wanda.

So it was a date with two friends. And I was completely okay with that because I was also quite anxious.

But it worked out perfectly, and we’ve been officially together for about three months.

We were approaching the one year anniversary of when we first met, and I had a feeling that Bucky was planning something. I asked Steve, naturally, but he feigned ignorance.

Wanda and Sam apparently also had some information about what Bucky was doing, because every time they looked at me, they gave me a we-know-something-you-don’t-know smile.

So I waited until Bucky was finally ready to tell me. And boy was I stunned.

Apparently, although not surprisingly, Mr. Stark had a lakeside cabin in upstate New York, and Bucky asked him if we could use for a long weekend.

It was such a thoughtful gesture. Bucky had told me that while it was fairly rustic, it also had all the modern conveniences.

He also mentioned, rather shyly, that it had a number of bedrooms. I knew he said that for my benefit, even though I knew Bucky wouldn’t push me to do anything.

We had been taking things nice and slow, and honestly, that’s what we both wanted. We were both scared, but we also knew how we felt, and that we didn’t want to mess things up.

I think Wanda, Sam, and especially Steve were more excited than Bucky and I were! Wanda even helped me pack, and the smile never left her face.

On the morning we were scheduled to leave, I woke up and didn’t feel quite right.

_Why am I so nervous?_

I actually knew the answer. Bucky and I were going away for a long weekend … alone … together.

Bucky wouldn’t force me to do anything that made me uncomfortable; that was a fact. Maybe it was just because we were going to be so isolated at the cabin.

But I was determined to enjoy myself, and have a good time with Bucky. Trying to push the anxiety away, I got up and started getting ready.

There was a knock on my door, and I glanced over at the clock.

 _Right on time_ , I smiled.

Opening my door I was greeted by Bucky’s shy smile.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

Grinning, I nodded. “Just let me get my bag.”

As I returned, Bucky gave me a questioning look.

“What’s in the gift bag?” he inquired.

Smirking, I replied, “It’s a surprise … for later.”

He regarded me for another moment, and then we left on our journey.

The ride from the city to the cabin took almost three hours, but it was a fun trip. We talked, sang along with the radio, and played silly games.

We stopped for lunch in the small town that was closest to the lake. Bucky not only enjoyed the fantastic food, but it also reminded him of a diner he and Steve used to go to in Brooklyn. So I was privileged to hear a few more students of the “young” men!

When we finally arrived at the cabin, I was awestruck. It was beautiful. The stunning wooden structure was nestled in a small grove of trees, with a path which led to the lake.

There were huge windows everywhere which would provide some amazing views, and it was so peaceful. I understood why Bucky chose this place.

We unloaded the car and made our way up to the front door. As we entered, we were both blown away. It was incredible!

Dropping everything in the spacious kitchen, we wandered through the place, exploring the vast spaces with the beautiful views.

While we were upstairs, we chose our sleeping quarters for the next few nights. The rooms we selected weren’t the biggest, but they were connected by a really cool looking sliding pocket door.

Returning to the living room, we decided to spend some time out on the balcony, which overlooked the path to the lake.

Sitting in waning sunlight, enjoyed each other’s company was so relaxing. All the pent up anxiety that I had felt that morning was nearly gone.

As the sun set, we retreated indoors to make dinner. It was so much fun! Bucky grilled some steaks for us as I prepared the salad and some homemade French fries. We both made the fruit salad for dessert.

During dinner, we talked about food, of course! The whole experience was fantastic, including the clean up afterwards.

We decided to go upstairs and shower, separately of course, and then meet up in the living room to watch a movie or two.

Washing up quickly, I wanted to beat him downstairs. Bringing the gift bag with me, I hurried back to the living room, and got my surprise ready.

I didn’t have to wait long at all, as Bucky joined me not five minutes later.

Sitting down next to me, he asked, “So do I get to see what’s in the bag?”

Smiling, I placed it on his lap, and gestured for him to look inside. As he did, a huge grin broke out on his face.

Slowly, Bucky removed the afghan from the festive bag. His smile turned to shock, and then pride? I couldn’t quite discern his last look.

He was holding almost reverently in his hands, studying it intensely. It was gray with silver threads in it, and a bright red star in the middle.

“Where did you find this?” he inquired.

Blushing, I looked down at my hands, back up at him, and answered quietly, “I made it.”

Bucky’s head shot up and he stared at me for what seemed like forever.

“YOU made this?” he asked incredulously.

Nodding, I sighed.

And then he went silent. Bucky just sat there, staring at the afghan.

“I’m sorry. I thought you’d like it. It’s just that … well … I rather like your … metal arm, and well … since we snuggle so much, I thought this would a nice tribute. But if you don’t like it, I can donate it … or maybe give it to Steve …”

Bucky stopped my rambling with a light caress to my cheek.

“I LOVE IT,” he said softly. “But I had no idea that you could do this! How long did it take you?”

“I started working on it after our first ‘date’ but it wasn’t originally going to look like this,” I answered.

“It’s fabulous! I love it, and I love that you wanted to do this for me … for us,” Bucky said softly, gently touching my cheek again.

Sighing, I leaned into his touch.

“I thought …”

“You thought what?” he asked.

“Well, when you didn’t say anything, I thought maybe you didn’t like. You seemed stunned, and then you went silent on me, and I thought maybe I went too far …”

Bucky smiled warmly at me, and then stood up. He grabbed some snacks and the remote, and then rejoined me in the living room.

Unfolding the afghan, he motioned for me to come closer. I willingly obliged, cuddling right up next to him. Wrapping my afghan around us, he started the movie, and we watched contentedly.

We were so engrossed in the movie, and our closeness, that we never noticed the storm brewing outside.

The first movie had finished, and that’s when we heard the wind howling outside. Listening for a few minutes, we just huddled together on the couch.

Suddenly there was a crash, I screamed, and the power went out.

I felt Bucky’s strong arms pull me close, and he whispered, “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. Stay right here; I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Be careful.”

I heard him in the kitchen, and then a flashlight shone in my direction. He walked over and handed one to me.

“See if you can find some candles. I’m going to check things out. I won’t be gone long,” he said calmly.

Nodding, I returned to the kitchen as I watched him go outside.

A few minutes later he came back in, carrying a huge armload of firewood.

“Well, there’s good news and not so good news. There are no lights on at any of the houses across the lake. As I was checking the cabin, I didn’t see a generator or anything, so I think we’re done for the evening.

However, there is a ton of chopped wood alongside the shed, which only has a lawnmower and a snow blower inside. So I’ll start a fire, and at least we’ll have heat and some light,” he explained.

“While you were outside, I took all the ice I could find and put it in the coolers with as much food as I could fit. The cell phones don’t work, and apparently the landline is also down; it had no dial tone,” I said.

“Let me get me some more wood, and then we’ll get ourselves straightened out,” he said.

“I’ll get the door for you.”

Bucky went into the kitchen and started rummaging in one of the drawers. He returned with a set of keys.

“Watch for me. I’m going to check the shed again and make sure there’s nothing in there that we can use. Then I’ll bring in the firewood,” he continued.

Nodding, I began to make a mental list of what we needed from upstairs.

Bucky brought in three more armfuls of wood, plus a cooler and an oil lantern that he found in the shed.

He began building the fire as I put more food in the newly found cooler. After redistributing the ice, I was fairly confident that most of the food would be okay.

Soon enough, the room was lit up by the fire, and as the wind whipped outside, the living room started to warm up.

Taking our flashlights, we headed upstairs to gather a few things.

I quickly changed into my sleepwear. They weren’t sexy at all, just a simple pair of cotton pajamas. But somehow I didn’t think Bucky was going to complain!

Grabbing my book, a couple of blankets and a few pillows, I headed back downstairs. Bucky was waiting for me, checking on the fire.

He looked up and smiled at me.

“Cute pjs,” he commented.

Giggling, I replied, “Well, I know they’re very … boring … but …”

“Not boring at all,” he said as he walked over to me. “I rather like them. They look comfy.”

Grinning, I nodded. “You look pretty comfy too. And I’m sure Steve would approve.”

He looked down at his captain America tee shirt and chuckled.

“It was actually a gag gift from Sam one Christmas. You ready?”

Gesturing to the couch, I noticed that he had repositioned it to face the fire. He had also brought pillows and blankets from his room, and had them waiting for us.

“Now THAT looks very inviting!”

Extending his hand, I took it, and we got situated on the oversized couch. He carefully laid ‘his’ afghan directly on top us, followed by a few of the upstairs blankets.

Wrapping his arms around me, I gently leaned back against him, enjoying the feeling of having him so close.

“If this is the kind of snuggling that happens during a power outage, I think we should one regularly,” he joked.

Smiling, I twisted around to look up at him.

_Dear lord! He is even more handsome in the firelight!_

“I don’t think we need anything as drastic as a lack of electricity to spend time together like this.”

“Is that a promise?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes,” I replied as I leaned up to kiss him lightly.

We talked for hours, about everything and anything. Telling each other stories about families, we laughed, and even cried a little.

Bucky seemed so relaxed and very content. I smiled, taking pleasure in the fact that I was part of the reason for his happiness.

He got up a few times to fix the fire, but otherwise we stayed huddled under all of the blankets.

Eventually though, we both got tired, and neither one of us wanted to move.

“So I think it would be best for us to stay down here, in front of the fire, where it’s nice and warm,” he suggested sleepily.

“Good idea,” I said drowsily.

“Let me just add some more wood to the fire, and then we can settled in,” he said softly.

Nodding in agreement, I immediately missed his warmth despite the blazing fire.

Bucky laid back down on the couch and opened his arms. Hesitantly, I laid against his chest, pulling his afghan and the other blankets over us.

He enveloped me in his strong embrace, and kissed the top of my forehead.

“Goodnight,” he whispered.

I cuddled closer to him, and mumbled a goodnight to him as well. He hugged me tighter, and sighed.

“Are you good?”

“I’m better than good. Go to sleep,” he murmured.

I fell asleep, happy in his arms, and nice and warm under all the blankets.

When I woke up, I felt Bucky’s strong arms still wrapped around me, holding me close. It was THE best feeling.

Glancing around the room, I noticed that the fire was still going strong.

_How did I not wake up when he fixed the fire?_

I also noticed that the power was still out, and Bucky was asleep. So I decided to close my eyes and rest until he woke up.

Apparently I fell back asleep, because when I woke up the second time Bucky was awake.

“Hey sleepyhead,” he whispered.

“Hey. What time is it?”

“It’s almost noon. I don’t remember the last time I slept that long. It must be the special blanket that you made for me,” he said softly.

Picking my head up I looked at him. He appeared as serene as he did earlier this morning. Smiling, I kissed him lightly.

“I could get used to waking up this way,” he chuckled.

Blushing, I agreed. “Me too.”

It was then we noticed the wind still blowing strongly.

“Since we have not gotten the power back, how about we have some lunch?” he suggested.

“How about we take a few bottles of water into the bathroom and wash up a bit first?”

Grinning, he nodded, but still didn’t move.

“I hate to say this, but I really don’t want to get up. I like our little blanket cocoon,” he admitted.

Giggling, I replied, “Me too, but I think we kinda need to wash up and eat.”

Sighing dramatically, Bucky countered, “Okay, but only if we come back to the fire and our blankets after lunch.”

Smiling, I kissed him again, although this time more passionately.

“Agreed.”

As he pulled me into another kiss, I totally forgot about being hungry, and relished the warmth of his lips and our special blanket cocoon …

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading :)


End file.
